BATTLES
Dross Glop album – out April 17 in the US
New Stream and Remixer Playlist

Dross Glop will be released April 17 in the US on CD & MP3 download.
The album will include a remix of every song on Battles’ 2011 LP Gloss Drop, each from a different artist selected personally by the band. Remixers include Shabazz Palaces, The Field, Gang Gang Dance, Hudson Mohawke, Pat Mahoney & Dennis McNany and seven more of the world’s finest production minds.

You can read below a note from Battles on why they picked each remixer. And they have created a YouTube playlist of favorite songs from each for you to enjoy.

This album also appears on vinyl in a four-part 12” series, uniquely artworked by the band’s Dave Konopka. Dross Glop 1 (Gui Boratto, The Field) and Dross Glop 2 (The Alchemist, Shabazz Palaces, Kode9) are out now.
Dross Glop 3 & Dross Glop 4 are coming soon.
“Sundome (EYE Remix)” is exclusive to the album CD and MP3 formats.

GUI BORATTO (WALL STREET REMIX):
A Battles remix record would not be complete without a heavyweight from our friends from the KOMPAKT label. We are very excited that Gui has taken the time to rework one of our tracks. This Brazilian monster has been making club bangers for some time now and he can now add his rework of “Wall Street” to his already accomplished list of amazing tracks…….thank you Gui! Boratto Bangers: “Arquipélago”, the entire Chromaphobia album, and “Anunciacion”.

THE FIELD (SWEETIE & SHAG REMIX):
Since the release of the first album by The Field entitled From Here We Go Sublime through to the most recent Looping State of Mind, we have been huge fans the music that Axel Willner makes. The Field did a fantastic remix of “Tonto” a few years back and it is with great pride that we once again call upon him for another slice of brilliance with his remix of “Sweetie & Shag”. In addition to The Field, be sure to look into Loops of Your Heart, a newer synth-heavy project by Willner, further proof that Axel has already begun carving out his own chapter of excellence in the encyclopedia of electronic music history.

THE ALCHEMIST (FUTURA REMIX):
When we were given the opportunity to have The Alchemist rework one of our tracks we jumped at the chance. It is a complete honor for us to have “the greatest hip hop producer of all time” share his vision with us. With bangers like “More Like Us”, “Chemical Warfare (featuring Eminem)” and “Keep It Thoro” he has made his mark in more ways than one in hip hop history. Thank you DJ EMZ for hooking this up.

SHABAZZ PALACES (WHITE ELECTRIC REMIX):
Having always been a fan of Ishmael Butler’s groups, both past and present, we were really excited to have Shabazz Palaces be able to rework a version of “White Electric” and to drop few verses on top. We had a “feeling” that this remix was going to be good, but when we first laid ears on this track we were ecstatic at how awesome this song turned out! There is nobody like Shabazz Palaces, they are in a class of their own. Definitely check out the Black Up album, which is, in my opinion, one of the most refreshing, daring, boundary-pushing hip-hop releases in years.

KODE9 (AFRICASTLE REMIX):
Not only does Steve “Kode9″ Goodman make good music but he also has a doctorite in Philosophy and wrote a book called “Sonic Warfare;Sound,Affect,and the Ecology of Fear”. This alone is reason enough for him to be involved in our remix record! Best music: “Memories of the Future” and “Black Sun” both on his own Hyperdub label.

SILENT SERVANT (INCHWORM REMIX):
Real name John Juan Mendez from LA/Minneapolis,Silent Servant has been holding it down in the west coast scene for some time now. Releasing numerous anthems on the mysterious Sandwell District label, SS was an obvious choice for us. We wanted something that will sound like a religious epiphany at 9am in Berghain…….and that is exactly what we got! Best tracks: “Doom Deferred”, the “Hypnosis In The Modern Age” 12″ and “Violencia (function remix)”

KANGDING RAY (TODDLER REMIX):
We wanted to use KR because his atmospheric dark textural music sounds big and creepy in giant clubs and we wanted to see if that vibe could be conveyed in a remix of one of our songs. KR most definitely delivered. Awesome tunes include the Pruitt Lgoe 12″ and the OR LP both on the Raster-Noton label.

QLUSTER (DOMINICAN FADE REMIX):
First time caller, long time fan. Our jaws dropped when we reached out to Qluster to see if they would be interested in doing a remix for the song “Dominican Fade” and they were kind enough to oblige. Yes, Qluster (aka Cluster, Kluster), the experimental German electronic group consisting of core members Hans-Joachim Roedelius and Dieter Mobius—absolute living legends! It has been a truly humbling experience to have one our songs remixed by Qluster for they have always been a genuine source of inspiration for Battles.

BRIAN DEGRAW / GANG GANG DANCE (ICE CREAM):
Gang Gang Dance has been one of the best bands in NYC for years now and they have through and through earned our whole-hearted respect and admiration. Therefore, we couldn’t imagine anybody more appropriate to remix the bizarreness that is “Ice Cream” other than Gang Gang Dance’s own Brian DeGraw. Coming off of the success of their outstanding 2011 release Eye Contact, DeGraw follows through with tons of sonic flavor for this bombastic jammy-jam of a remix.

HUDSON MOHAWKE (ROLLS BAYCE REMIX):
Using label mate Hudson Mohawke was a simple “no brainer”…..we knew what we would get and we couldn’t be happier. Warp’s jam master is a welcome guest for our little project. Best tracks: “Fuse”, “Gluetooth”, and “Thunder Bay”.

PATRICK MAHONEY & DENNIS McNANY (MY MACHINES REMIX):
Patrick Mahoney is the awesomeness that is the drummer behind the magnificent LCD Soundsystem. In addition to being a great drummer Patrick Mahoney is an incredible DJ, which led us to the conclusion that it could be pretty fun to see what he would do with a remix for “My Machines”. After giving us the nod of approval, Pat got in touch with producer Dennis McNany of Run-Roc records and the two of them worked out an immense nine minute dance floor banger that features Gary Numan’s one-of-a-kind vocals. A killer track!

“A debut album that is every bit as nod-along appealing as the best pop to have emerged in time for the summer season” – BBC Music

“Sans Souci is a continuous piece of music that ascends and descends with ease. Articulate, virtuoso and surprisingly entertaining!” - Clash Magazine

“A hugely accomplished debut” - Kerrang
Drawing upon the influence of Battles, Russian Circles and Don Caballero, Brontide are a riff-heavy, intelligent instrumental-rock band that possesses an almost limitless scope. Featuring members fromI Was A Cub Scout, La Roux and Pictures, Brontide explore and experiment beyond the boundaries of instrumental music with explosive effects. With dreamy melodies cast adrift by frenetic, technical drumbeats and big guitar loops, it’s no wonder they have already gained a cult following.

After racking up Radio 1 airplay, a tour with Minus The Bear and shows with bands such as Don Caballero, Cut Off Their Hands, The XX, Rolo Tomassi and Pulled Apart By Horses in the UK, the band are taking their ferocious tunes Stateside for a digital release.

Recorded as one continuous piece of music, “Sans Souci” has been played on the road it its entirety throughout the UK and Europe to sold out crowds. The band will be continuing to tour in support of the album with a UK tour in February 2012.

LISTEN:
WALL STREET (GUI BORATTO REMIX)
SWEETIE & SHAG (THE FIELD REMIX)
OUT ON 12” VINYL, FEB 7 (NORTH AMERICA) IN GOOD RECORD STORES
DROSS GLOP 1 IS THE FIRST IN A FOUR PART 12” SERIES
SUBSCRIBE TO THE FULL VINYL SERIES AT BLEEP.COM

Special Benny release their debut album “Toys” through the Proper Songs label on 6th September 2010. The six-piece band are Mat Baynton, Grace Cheung, Tom Corbett, Ben Gates, Rob Smoughton and Matt Turner who hail from Southend, Brighton, Bexleyheath and Hong Kong but now call London home. Most of Special Benny studied music, apart from Mat, who went to clown school. Although five members can distinguish between a Neapolitan 6th, and a French 6th, none can fall over quite so hilariously as Mr Baynton.

The tracks on “Toys” draw from a variety of musical influences. Although they admit their individual tastes differ greatly the band cites Tortoise, Jim O’Rourke, Sufjan Stevens, Battles, Frank Zappa and Steve Reich among their shared favourites.

As might be expected from a band who admire such experimental luminaries, there is a high degree of collaboration and planning involved in their song writing: “We finish all our ideas together, or the band as a whole aren’t interested. Democracy can be hard within a band, it can lead to arguments. But at the same time, the fact that we are always surprised when we play together is an absolute joy.”

Special Benny are not a band to rush things – their ultra-obsessive nature with microscopic detail of sound would send the most hardy of studio hermits around the bend – but even for them “Toys” has been a long time coming. Mat and Ben have been making music together since they were 14, before meeting other members around university and starting Special Benny (named seconds before playing their first gig, the name stuck ever since…). Despite building up a solid live following and self-recording/producing/releasing the “Rumblestrip EP” in 2006, the group struggled to find their natural rhythm and life began to interfere. original drummer Steve Galloway left, Matt Turner took a job in Australia for a year, Mat Baynton’s acting career took off, Ben and Grace started a family – the group even called time on Special Benny with a final gig at their spiritual home of The Fox in Lewisham, South East London.

Then in late 2008, they discussed playing seriously again with their friend and drummer Rob Smoughton (who releases as Grovesnor on Lo Recordings and is live drummer for Hot Chip). The resulting rehearsals inspired the group into resuming with renewed focus, leading to the completion of “Toys”.

The release of “Toys” is a testament to their desire and need to create music together, and to do so on their own terms as a group. It is the sound of people discovering common ground despite their differences and disruptions and creating music that’s beautiful, precious, timeless and entirely their own.